Max Headroom - The Complete Series DVDReview

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This breakthrough, near-futuristic series is just as relevant today as it was in the '80s.

By Cindy White

Even for those who weren't alive or old enough to remember the 1980s, the character of Max Headroom remains an iconic figure who both personified and transcended the decade in which he was created. Once a mainstay on MTV (back when the "M" still stood for music and most of the broadcast time was devoted to showing videos), Max Headroom became a sort of overnight celebrity, appearing on magazine covers and Coke commercials, even headlining his own international talk show. But beyond the quippy, pseudo-CGI talking head himself, there is a less remembered backstory, a wholly constructed world of the near future that presented media culture in a way which not only seems eerily prescient now, but continues to resonate.

That's where the short-lived TV series Max Headroom comes in. Following up an ambitious TV movie produced for Channel 4 in the U.K. and Cinemax here in the States (and sadly not included in this set), the ABC series incorporated many of the elements of the movie's plot into the first episode, "Blipverts." It introduces Edison Carter (Matt Frewer), a high-profile investigative journalist for the powerful Network 23. Despite a crusading spirit that often pits him against the powers that be, he's given at least the illusion of freedom to follow whatever leads bring in the most ratings. That is, until he stumbles upon the disturbing fact that the network's new three-second commercials (called "blipverts") contain a harmful overload of information that can kill people. When he digs deeper, he becomes a target of executive bigwigs seeking to keep the story under wraps.

While trying to escape from a group of attackers in a parking garage on a motorcycle, Carter crashes into a barrier and is knocked unconscious. But to find out what he knows, his brain is essentially downloaded into a computer program by a young computer hacker, Bryce Lynch (Chris Young), who works for the network. The resulting digital creation is none other than Max Headroom (a name derived from the last thing Carter saw – the sign on the barrier he smashed into). Max (also played by Frewer) soon takes on a life and personality of his own. After Carter is revived, Max becomes a sort of alter ego, making a pest of himself but also earning high ratings and occasionally helping out those in the newsroom, including controller Theora Jones (Amanda Pays) and producer Murray (Jeffrey Tambor).

Set "20 minutes into the future," the series explores the darker side of media manipulation, the corporatization of news, extreme sports, reality competitions and other forward-looking themes. Considering the way it skewered television culture, and the networks in particular, it's no wonder that it only ran for 13 episodes on ABC, including an initially successful run of the first six in the spring of 1987, and a subsequent season of seven (with one final, unaired installment) in a tougher Friday-night time slot against Dallas and Miami Vice beginning in the fall of 1998.

Also contributing to its early demise was the expense of the production. The design aesthetic is a mixture of elements, some of them dated – like the old, simplistic computer monitors and the entire opening credits sequence – and some of them timeless, with a distinctive retro feel not unlike Brazil or Blade Runner. The punk aesthetic is a strong influence in this dystopian society where the stark environment of the Network 23 building and the well-appointed domiciles of the upper class are contrasted with the gritty, lawless streets ruled by thugs and scoundrels. This stylized environment can't have been cheap to create on a week-to-week basis, and likely also contributed to the show's early demise.

But most interesting of all, of course, is Max himself. Contrary to popular belief, he was not actually created with CG animation at all, but through make-up, lighting and video editing. Part game-show host, part anchorman, his biting, satirical sense of humor and keen sense of observation make him the ideal Greek chorus, popping up here and there to make a pithy comment about what's really going on. He's the ultimate talking head, by design, and just like the series built around him, a product of our time as well as an astute comment on it.

Score: 8 out of 10

Video and Presentation

The episodes are presented in their original full-frame aspect ratios, and the picture doesn't seem to have been put through much restoration for this set. The series uses a variety of sources for effect, from straightforward film stock to grainy surveillance cameras to the rough video feed from Edison's camera to the saturated, artificial environment where Max resides. It makes sense in the context of the show, but it doesn't make for a particularly solid or consistent image. The colors have faded a bit over time as well, but for the most part there aren't any obvious flaws to be found in the transfer. This is probably about as good as the show will ever look. It's not great, but it's expected.

Score: 6 out of 10

Languages and Audio

The audio here is delivered in Dolby Digital stereo with English subtitles. There aren't any other language options available. The sound is a bit muddy, with little separation of the elements and not much range from high to low. Dialogue is somewhat flat and dull as well, though it's intelligible for the most part. The good news is that we didn't hear any obvious errors like hissing, distortion or pops. This track does its job, though not in a very artistic or spectacular fashion.

Score: 6 out of 10

Extras and Packaging

This five-DVD set is packaged inside a double-sided cardboard case containing the three slimcases housing the discs themselves. A lenticular sleeve featuring Max making different faces covers the set, though it's not really necessary since all the same information is repeated on the case inside. There's also a nice booklet included with an essay by former Lost writer and Middleman creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach as well as episode descriptions and pictures from the series.

The special features include:

Live on Network 23: The Story of Max Headroom

Looking Back at the Future

The Big-Time Blanks

The Science Behind the Fiction

The Writers Remember

Producing Dystopia

"Live on Network 23" is a comprehensive look at how the show came to be, with input from the original creators and those who brought the American series to the screen (a team that didn't include some of the original British artists, thus creating some resentment that is barely touched on here). It's basically a biography of Max Headroom himself, from the first inception of the character to the end of the ABC series to the ways Max could return in the future.

"Looking Back at the Future" features some of the cast members in a round-table discussion about their experiences on the show, moderated by Grillo-Marxuach. Participating in the chat are Amanda Pays (Theora), Jeffrey Tambor (Murray), Concetta Tomei (Dominique) and Chris Young (Bryce). Sorely missed is Matt Frewer. While the talk is fun and lighthearted, it just doesn't seem complete without him, In fact, you won't find Frewer's input anywhere in these special features, which is a real disappointment considering he had so much to do with developing the title character.

There's more character discussion in "Big-Time Blanks," which also includes Tomei alongside Morgan Sheppard, who reprised his role as Blank Reg in the original British movie for the television series. It's clear that these two have great chemistry together and their friendship and affection shines through in their reminiscences.

"The Science Behind the Fiction" focuses on co-creator George Stone, who talks about technology and artificial intelligence, and how it influenced the series. That's followed by "The Writers Remember," with Steve Roberts and Michael Cassutt, who talk about coming up with stories and the writing process in general. Finally, there's "Producing Dystopia," in which producer Brian Frankish goes into the design of the show and the challenges of creating the alternate future in which Max Headroom is set.

These are all great, meaty pieces about the creation of the show, produced recently so the players involved have had time to gain some perspective on its impact. Still, it's hard not to consider what hasn't been included in these extras, namely any archival materials featuring Max outside of the show and the original British movie. We would venture to guess that Shout! only had the rights to this series alone, so anything more would have been prohibitively difficult to track down or license. But there's still hope that an even more complete retrospective of the entire Max Headroom phenomenon might one day see the light of day.

Score: 7 out of 10

The Bottom Line

Max Headroom was a series ahead of its time that can now be viewed on a whole new level. It deserves to be seen and appreciated by a much wider audience, and this set provides a great opportunity to do just that.